Improvement in adjustable hammers for fire-arms



E. A. F. 'TOEPP ERW'EIN. Adjustable Hammer for'Fire-A-rms.

No. 199,124. Patented Jan. 8, 1878.

ATTORNEYS.

N-FETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHFR, WASHMESTON. D C.

UNITED AT S A-TENTOF JC EMIL A. F. 'ronrrnnwnrn, or BOERNE, TEXAS.

IMPROVEMENT IN ADJUSTABLE HAMMERS FOR FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 199,124, dated January 8, 1878 application filed October 17, 1877.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, E. A. F. TOEPPERVEIN, of Boerne, in the county of Kendall and State of Texas, have invented a new and Improved Gun-Hammer; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-'- Figure 1 is a top view of a double-baneled gun with my improvements. applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is a detail face view of the hammer.

My invention relates .to an improvement upon that form of gun-hammer which carries upon its striking-face a swiveling adjustable striker.

The improvement consists in the particular I construction and arrangement of such swiveling striker with its locking devices, and its combination with a double-barreled gun,whereby a single hammer may be employed for both barrels, the striker being capable of such adjustment as to bring it within the range of either nipple, or into an intermediate position between the two, forthe prevention of accidents, as hereinafter fully described.

In the drawings, A represents the stock, and A A the two barrels, of an ordinary ,doublebarreled gun. B is the hammer, which is arranged centrally in the stock. Said hammer is recessed at its front and upper end, to receive the striker G, which latter is connected with the hammer by, and arranged to turn upon, a pivot, E. (Shown most clearly in dotted lines in Fig. 2.) This striker is made to project from its axial point a sufficient distance to extend from the centrally-arranged hammer over to and in range with either of the nipples H, according to whichever position it may be made to occupy. To hold the striker to its place in the recess of the hammer, a stiff spring, D, is secured to the face of the hammer at the bottom by a screw or other device, and by pressing at the top against the striker prevents 'it from ever becoming disengaged from the hammer. This spring is also made to act in the capacity of a locking device, to

define the radial position of the striker upon its pivot, and for this purpose it is formed with a teat or projection, G, next to the striker, which enters one of the three depressions F in the face of the striker, to lock the same rigidly to the desired position.

Now, when the striker is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, it will be seen that it is in range for firing the left-hand barrel. To fire the right-hand barrel, the striker is turned upon its pivot one hundred and eighty degrees, and locked in this position by the means just described.

When neither barrel is to be fired, but it is desired to adjust the gun for the greatest safety, the striker is turned ninety degrees from either of its operatingpositions, or straight up, so as to occupy a position directly between the nipples, as shown in Fig. 2. i

The distinctive features of my invention, it will be seen, rest, first in combining the spring D with the striker and hammer, in such a manner as to cause it to perform the double function of holding the striker to the hammer and locking the striker in its several positions without reducing either the weight, strength, or solidity of the hammer at its connection with the striker.

Another distinctive and economical feature is in arranging this form of hammer (having an intermediate adjustment between its operative adjustment) centrally in the stock of a double -barreled gun, so that a single hammer is not only made to fire either barrel at will, but may be adjusted between the same, so as to beout of range of both nipples, but still project up between the same as a protective guard against blows from extraneous objects.

In making use of the form of hammer, striker, and spring described, it is obvious that it might be applied to a single-barreled gun, or to one having more than two barrels, so as to secure the same advantages of safety.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. The combination, with the hammer B and the pivoted adjustable striker 0, having de pressions in its outer face, of: the flat spring ment between its two operative adjustments,

1), having projections G, and arranged upon the; face. of the hammer, to hold the striker to the hammer and lock the striker in its several positions, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a double-barreled gun, of a centrally-arranged hammer, having a pivoted striker provided with an adjustsubstantiallyas described, and for the purpose set forth;

EMIL ALBRECHT FERDINAND TOEPZQERWEIN. Witnesses:

B. L. HEsTER, V P. D. SAN'ER. 

